Reggie Wilde of Norton Shores, founder of Blessed Bikers, died May 9 following a motorcycle crash on a U.S. 31 off-ramp at Sherman Boulevard.Wilde family

FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, MI – Friends say Reginald “Reggie” Wilde in recent years had two great passions: riding his motorcycle and sharing his faith.

Wilde combined the two when he founded Blessed Bikers, an informal, non-denominational group of Muskegon-area motorcyclists, a couple of years ago. He began a Muskegon tradition of “the blessing of the bikers” at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson before the annual Mount Garfield spring run – most recently, on May 5, just four days before he died.

The 63-year-old Norton Shores resident touched many lives. And so did his sudden death after Wilde apparently lost control of his motorcycle last Thursday, May 9, on a U.S. 31 off-ramp.

“Everybody’s in shock, everybody in the Blessed Biker group,” said Wilde’s friend, Dave Barham, owner of Mr. B’s Pancake House. “He was very safe, a good example of how to ride a motorcycle. He always wore a helmet. He gets off at that exit, been off there a hundred times. It’s just a shock because he was such a safe rider.”

There is no indication Wilde suffered a medical problem that would have contributed to the crash, police said. An investigation continues.

Barham and other friends say Wilde made a big impact, and his passing will leave a void.

“He became friends with everybody down here (at Mr. B’s), including many of the customers,” Barham said. “He was a good guy. He’d talk to anybody. Especially if you were a motorcycle rider, he’d go right up to you and introduce himself.”

“He was a good Christian man and really wanted to reach bikers for Christ,” said the Rev. Gordon Aikin, pastor of Muskegon’s Central Assembly of God. “He was a guy full of energy. He never seemed to run out of energy to talk to anybody. He just made friends with everybody that he met.

“And he just loved to ride,” Aikin said. “He died doing what he loved the best.”

As the founder of Blessed Bikers, “he was the leader, the founder, the shepherd,” said Wilde’s friend Dino Lombardi.

Wilde loved being outside. “He greatly enjoyed the outdoors, whether it was hunting, fishing or riding his motorcycle,” said his son, Troy Wilde of Grand Rapids. “Those were his passions. … The motorcycle more than anything was his passion.

"The family would like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers," he said.

Reggie Wilde has been cremated. A memorial service is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Central Assembly of God, 896 Home St., Muskegon. Cake and refreshments will follow the service, possibly followed by a bike run.

He is survived by his sons, Troy (Sheila) and Todd (Alisa) Wilde of Grand Rapids; his mother, Evelyn Wilde, and brother, Paul Wilde, both of Alabama; six grandchildren and several cousins, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles.